Kale Recipes

Unlike many items on fast food menus, this kale salad should cause no alarm if super-sized. Kale leaves are massaged and marinated in a delectable white bean vinaigrette. The beans used were very creamy inside, so I mashed a small portion to thicken the texture of the dressing.

These Greek white beans are unusually large (compared to the standard beans) and are aptly called "gigante" beans. They have a toothsome bite, which helped balance the texture of the salad. I also added sun-dried tomatoes for a pop of color. Serve this complete, nutritious salad with garlic toast and you'll have a light, healthy, yet tasty meal.

Here’s another Meatless Monday recipe for the beginning of the week. I wanted to feature a flavorful yet healthy one, so I prepared a baby kale salad with pomegranate dressing. I also added shredded carrots and spiced pecans for extra crunch and nutrition. And to reinforce the tart and sour taste of this salad, I also added dried cranberries.

Our Thanksgiving table would be incomplete without vegetarian bread stuffing / dressing. I usually serve it as a side dish so it's a great accompaniment to meat and a main course for the vegetarians in my home.

For this version, I was inspired by green ingredients such as asparagus, zucchini, celery, artichoke, kale, Castelvetrano green olives and Havarti cheese with dill. I used olive bread, a small white onion and homemade vegetable broth I prepared in advance and stored in the freezer for the upcoming holiday. Give this "green" and healthy recipe a try; it might bring a new kick to your Thanksgiving menu.

My sister-in-law Lya had a sleepover with her girlfriends here last weekend. They had to wake up very early the following day to participate in The Color Run™ 5k paint race event. I promised I'd give them a large breakfast so they'd have enough energy. I served them sweet potato tarte amandine (check out the photo on Facebook), thumbprint cookies and crepes. I prepared plenty of crêpe batter the night before so I was able to use the rest for lunch and create light, savory crepes. I filled them with a cheesy mascarpone sauce, sautéed kale and broccoli.

Don't be fooled by the abundance of greens; this healthy, savory crêpeis very flavorful and filling. The, creamy sauce will keep you full until it's time for the next meal.

If you're looking for a vibrantly green dish to serve this St. Patrick’s Day, this kale cashew pesto fits the bill. To the kale I added Greek Myzithra cheese (unpasteurized sheep cheese) and cashew nuts. Pesto is a very versatile sauce that provides as much flexibility as it does flavor. You just have to keep in mind 3 main elements: greens, nuts and hard cheese.

The inspiration for this pesto came from Gary, a PhamFatale.com reader. Gary had sent me an email for guidance about a sauce for ravioli he had purchased at my favorite local market, The Milk Pail in Mountain View (by the way, if you live in the Bay Area, don't hesitate to shop there and show your support!). Gary bought the Milk Pail's specialty Thai Curry ravioli and didn't know what sauce to serve on the pasta. At his house, no one's keen on a milk-based sauce so he was looking for something with less milk or cream. I suggested a pesto made of flat-leaf parsley, Thai Curry cheddar cheese (using the same kind of cheese as in the ravioli filling) and peanuts. I'll post the recipe soon. Gary's family tried the pesto ravioli over the weekend and it got two thumbs up. Yay!

Mary Garrigan from Rapid City Journal published a couple of St. Patrick’s Day-friendly recipes from my first book, Haute Potato. Check them out if you’re still in search of St. Patrick’s Day recipes!